Hello, my name is Mandy Coward and my students call me Ms. Mandy.  This will be my 7th year teaching at Avalon. I am originally from Sidney, BC where I spent the first 19 years of my life and my parents still call home.  I began my career in Bellingham, Washington where I spent 11 years teaching grades 1-4 and starting my family of two wonderful boys.
 
After Bellingham we moved down to Mesa, Arizona and learned to appreciate hot, dry weather.  I taught in a one-room school there for 7 years teaching grades 1-8.  Then, after almost twenty years God brought us back to Canada.  We settled in the southern Okanagan and started slowly adapting to the cooler temperatures.  God had other plans for our lives though and saw fit to move us back to Vancouver Island.  The island is a beautiful place and I’m glad that we made the move 7 years ago.  I'm thankful to be part of the Avalon family.
 
The Bible verse that directs my life is Proverbs 3:5-6, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart.  Never rely on what you think you know.  Remember the Lord in everything you do, and he will show you the right way.”